, 1887-06-26
TO THE, RESCUE.
Thos. sturgls Gives the Other Side
of the Story.
What He Says About Fraudulent
Desert Land Proofs.
Statements Made by Mr.. Sparks
Denied In Detail.

In an Associated Press Telegram re.
ceived last evening from Washington it is
stated that ifty-ive desert claims pur.
ported therein to be the property OF the
Goshen Hole Ditch company would be
cancelled for the reasons enumerated in
the dispatch.
At a late hour last night a reporter
called on Hon. Thos. Sturgis, who is mem
toned as the president of the ditch COM
pany, and placing in his hands a proof
sheet of the telegram asked that gentle
man if he wished to make any comment
upon the document or denial of the
ci argos enumerated.
Yes, 1 have something to say about
it." said Mr.. Sturgis. In the first place
there is no such organisation as the
Goshen Hole Ditch company. The cor
p~oration referred to Is che Goshen Hole
Irrigation company, and its officials are
not identical with those of the Union
Cattle company. | am not and never
was president of the irrigating
company. Work on the bitches was com
menced in 1883, and has been prosecuted
diligently ever since except, perhaps, a
short time in the dead of winter. There
are at present engaged in ~excavating in
Goshen Hole forty double teams and a
proportionate number of men. The lands
have been irrigated as claimed, over $780,
100 having been spent for that purpose.
One immense ditch has been constructed
from the Platte river at great cost,
much rock work being done in its con
struction, to which fact the contractor will
testify. Another large canal was built to
convey water from Horse creek, and many
lesser ones from other streams. Hundreds
of acres of alfalfa have been raised. The
original intention IF the company was to
increase the growth of native grass aud
cultivate alfalfa enough to permit the
feeding OF cattle during the winter. This
has been done, and from 5000 to 10, 900
tons of hay are now annually cut from
what was formerly desert land. As settle
ment advances this tract will be utilized
as homes tor 500 or 600 families. The
allegations Of the agents are entirely
untrue and without the least foundation.
From IS to SO has been spent on every
acre owned by the company, and the work
still continues. The statement that what
was done was done at the instance of Tbos.
Sturgis' is utterly false. My entire time is
occupied in the cattle business. | can only
regard their unwarranted use of my
name AS a personal attack made for polit-
ical or other reasons. There are ditch
companies that have not complied with
the letter Of the law, but the Goshen Hole
Irrigation company is not one of them. l
do not care about mentioning it. but |
will consult my counsel in the morning
and probably bring suit for damages
against these agents. The fact that a
numJer of the entrymen are non.residents
cuts no figure, as the law distinctly says
that as citizens of the United States all
have a right to make desert
entries whether they are residents
Of the territory or not. Settlement
is not a requisite. Reclamation of desert
land through an agent Is all hat is ne
cessary. In addition to all this | wish to
say that the fact of the non, residence Of
the q ,imant il Wyoming and all the cir
cumstances connected with this great en-
terprise for reclaiming desert lands were
explained to and understood by the secre
tary of the department of the interior.
Entries were not made in behalf of the
company simply to oblige its officers or
members, but were ordinary business
transactions. The entrymen own the
lands and water rights as claimed
MIR. Sturgis expressed surprise at the
general tenor of the dispatch, and felt
hurt over the freedom with which his
name had been used, but seemed TO
think the affair not so serious as it ap-
pears.